Looking to ditch Logic and Apple. Help!

[pdxindy]

I'd wait for the next update to the M1 Mac Mini... with the M2 or M1X or whatever they call it. It will be as fast as the current Mac Pro but for far less cost. That will also give time for various 3rd party plugins and audio interface drivers etc. to be updated for Apple Silicon.

Apple Silicon is very impressive... and Logic development has been really solid over the past few years. It's worth a few more months waiting to see if it fits your needs at a good price.

[mgw38]

Sorry I don’t agree with this.

My late 2014 maxed out MacBook Pro doesn’t even come close to my old Mac Pro.

I’m talking logic performance not geek scores and apps that measure other things.

Doesn‘t sound the way it should be. You might want to test a new iMac if you have a chance. You will probably be surprised.

All I can say is that I never had performance issues on any of my Macs. I switched because I need to use software that requires Nvidia cards which makes Macs a no go, unfortunately.

The old benchmark project in gearslutz that loaded a bunch of tracks with delay designer would get me like 170 tracks on my Mac Pro before craping out.

The MacBook Pro would not get past 47 tracks.

Just check my mbp and its a late 2014 with intel Core i7 2.8ghz (Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz) quad core.

Thats vs 2 Xeon X5680 each 6 cores at 3,33ghz.

47 seem way too low if I compare it to what other users report on similar machines. If you are using the (very) old Logic benchmark, newer iMacs should reach into a couple of hundreds of tracks.

[fmr]

I'd wait for the next update to the M1 Mac Mini... with the M2 or M1X or whatever they call it. It will be as fast as the current Mac Pro but for far less cost. That will also give time for various 3rd party plugins and audio interface drivers etc. to be updated for Apple Silicon.

Apple Silicon is very impressive... and Logic development has been really solid over the past few years. It's worth a few more months waiting to see if it fits your needs at a good price.

For what I read, it will not be "a few more months". That new chip (M2, for what I read) will not arrive until 2022 (at least). And we will see by then what will be the price. "far less cost" in Apple terms will still be more expensive than comparable Windows machines. But if they manage to squeeze 32 cores into it, as I read, that may indeed be impressive.

[W23]

I have a MacBook Pro and a Dell XPS 15 notebook. Cubase Pro 9.5 definitely runs better on the Dell. I understand that’s because Cubase is written for Windows and ported over to Mac OS as an afterthought. This is just my experience. I’ve had trouble with Cubase identifying my license dongle (how is that still a thing?) on a Mac. Admittedly, after wasting 30 minutes or so, of restarting my Mac and Cubase, it would be fine. However, Cubase runs flawlessly on the Dell.

OP has a valid point regarding performance per dollar spent on a Mac. You can definitely build a super fast, if not faster PC for less money than a Mac. The downside is you really need to do your homework and custom build your own desktop. Apple does a lot of that for you upfront, if you stay in the Apple environment.

Cubase Pro is the closest thing to Logic in the PC world. Studio One sounds like a great DAW, but it doesn’t have the benefit of 20+ years of development. Then again, Studio One probably benefits from that too. Every feature in Cubase seems “tacked on”, and I’ve had a helluva time finding the right button to click on to get much of anything accomplished. Like Logic, I tried Cubase for a bit, and basically ditched it for Ableton Live: the DAW that I’ve been using since 2004. Cubase is also pricey. I cross graded in 2019 for $160. Steinberg says they’ll never offer that price again, and I believe them. Once again, the OP will most likely spend at least $200 more for a DAW that offers maybe half the instruments and content than Logic.

[pdxindy]

I'd wait for the next update to the M1 Mac Mini... with the M2 or M1X or whatever they call it. It will be as fast as the current Mac Pro but for far less cost. That will also give time for various 3rd party plugins and audio interface drivers etc. to be updated for Apple Silicon.

Apple Silicon is very impressive... and Logic development has been really solid over the past few years. It's worth a few more months waiting to see if it fits your needs at a good price.

For what I read, it will not be "a few more months". That new chip (m2, for what I read) will not arrive until 2022 (at least). And we will see by then what will be the price. "far less cost" in Apple terms will still be more expensive than comparable Windows machines. But if they manage to squeeze 32 cores into it, and I read, that ma indeed be impressive.

Naa... there will be an Apple Silicon MBP 16" in the first half of 2021... also a high end Mac Mini and iMac as well. Those are expected to have 12-16 cores M2 or whatever it will be called.

The Mac Pro will likely be 2022 at which point the transition to Apple Silicon will be complete.

[andypryce]

I would get an iMac 10 core 3.6ghz with 1TB SSD (sans ram-purchase separately) for less than 3k which is a fantastic machine for Logic.

Who would I trade a 12 3.2ghz core Mac pro for a 10 core 3.6ghz iMac.

Further more the iMac probably doesn’t even use a Xeon.

These is how apple tricks ppl into spending money on crap that they don’t need.

According to Logic benchmarks on this site a 2020 iMac performs better than 2010 12 core 3.33 Mac Pro by 32 tracks but whatever.. I am out. Good luck.

https://music-prod.com/logic-pro-x-benchmarks/

[mgw38]

There is an old and a new Logic benchmark test. The OP reported 170 tracks on his 2009 Mac Pro which would be in line with the results expected with the old benchmark. The 47 he reports on the 2014 MacBook fit the new test.

[pdxindy]

Once again, the OP will most likely spend at least $200 more for a DAW that offers maybe half the instruments and content than Logic.

Plus ongoing upgrade costs... the cost savings of the free updates to Logic over the past 5 years are something like $600 for the other DAW's being considered.

And the Logic development has been excellent. The new Drum Designer and Sampler and Sequencer, plus the clip launching is well designed and implemented. It's not just more stuff added on, but well thought out and effectively implemented tools.

[Passing Bye]

OP has a valid point regarding performance per dollar spent on a Mac. You can definitely build a super fast, if not faster PC for less money than a Mac.

Not true anymore, M1 Mini cost and performs similar to Ryzen 5 3600 desktop hackintosh PC

https://www.logicprohelp.com/forum/view ... &start=200

So I just got my Mac Mini in (base model - 8GB RAM 256GB drive).

I was able to get 107 going without a hitch. Insanity! What further impressed me was how smooth the UI still was even when the CPU was being absolutely hammered.

But that's just entry level offerings, why not wait for few more months and see what's next, how it compares to Ryzen 5950X, don't get me wrong, I support idea of ditching Apple, especially if someone in 10 years can't save up for new Apple machine, but I wouldn't put less than 3K in PC desktop either than, than there's cost of new DAW too...

[Fabriciom]

I would get an iMac 10 core 3.6ghz with 1TB SSD (sans ram-purchase separately) for less than 3k which is a fantastic machine for Logic.

Who would I trade a 12 3.2ghz core Mac pro for a 10 core 3.6ghz iMac.

Further more the iMac probably doesn’t even use a Xeon.

These is how apple tricks ppl into spending money on crap that they don’t need.

According to Logic benchmarks on this site a 2020 iMac performs better than 2010 12 core 3.33 Mac Pro by 32 tracks but whatever.. I am out. Good luck.

https://music-prod.com/logic-pro-x-benchmarks/

OK, 32 tracks more than what I have.

Does that seem like its worth 3k?

Do you think that if the performance is similar to what I have, as soon as I start creating buses that iMac Pro is not going to be in the same situation im in right now?

[Fabriciom]

Once again, the OP will most likely spend at least $200 more for a DAW that offers maybe half the instruments and content than Logic.

Plus ongoing upgrade costs... the cost savings of the free updates to Logic over the past 5 years are something like $600 for the other DAW's being considered.

And the Logic development has been excellent. The new Drum Designer and Sampler and Sequencer, plus the clip launching is well designed and implemented. It's not just more stuff added on, but well thought out and effectively implemented tools.

Logic is lovely until you start going out side the box.

Development continues and it requires you to stay in the apple environment.

I will probably will not be able to update after Big Sur. Which I already tried and runs slower than Catalina.

Further more working on this Mac Pro is like working on a hackintosh.

I've spent this weekend fixing the machine because I tried updating open core and it all wen to shits.

[machinesworking]

I'd wait for the next update to the M1 Mac Mini... with the M2 or M1X or whatever they call it. It will be as fast as the current Mac Pro but for far less cost. That will also give time for various 3rd party plugins and audio interface drivers etc. to be updated for Apple Silicon.

Apple Silicon is very impressive... and Logic development has been really solid over the past few years. It's worth a few more months waiting to see if it fits your needs at a good price.

For what I read, it will not be "a few more months". That new chip (M2, for what I read) will not arrive until 2022 (at least). And we will see by then what will be the price. "far less cost" in Apple terms will still be more expensive than comparable Windows machines. But if they manage to squeeze 32 cores into it, as I read, that may indeed be impressive.

Have no idea where you’re reading this, but I’m chomping at the bit, waiting to buy a 16” MacBook Pro when they come out, and everyone is guessing June, maybe even March for that release. The only speculation for 2022 is on the AS Mac Pro, and even that is just a guess. It tool Apple less than the projected 2 years to switch to Intel chips, I have no doubt they match that.

[fmr]

OP has a valid point regarding performance per dollar spent on a Mac. You can definitely build a super fast, if not faster PC for less money than a Mac.

Not true anymore, M1 Mini cost and performs similar to Ryzen 5 3600 desktop hackintosh PC

Ryzen 3600? That's OOOOOLD...

The price for a Ryzen 3600 is 172 euros. I can a build a computer based on a Ryzen 3600 vastly superior to a Mac mini for the price of a Mac mini.

Anyway, we are not talking CPU power of the kind of the Ryzen 3600. We are talking of CPU power of the kind of the Ryzen 5900

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/A ... 4087vs4040

[fmr]

I'd wait for the next update to the M1 Mac Mini... with the M2 or M1X or whatever they call it. It will be as fast as the current Mac Pro but for far less cost. That will also give time for various 3rd party plugins and audio interface drivers etc. to be updated for Apple Silicon.

Apple Silicon is very impressive... and Logic development has been really solid over the past few years. It's worth a few more months waiting to see if it fits your needs at a good price.

For what I read, it will not be "a few more months". That new chip (M2, for what I read) will not arrive until 2022 (at least). And we will see by then what will be the price. "far less cost" in Apple terms will still be more expensive than comparable Windows machines. But if they manage to squeeze 32 cores into it, as I read, that may indeed be impressive.

Have no idea where you’re reading this, but I’m chomping at the bit, waiting to buy a 16” MacBook Pro when they come out, and everyone is guessing June, maybe even March for that release. The only speculation for 2022 is on the AS Mac Pro, and even that is just a guess. It tool Apple less than the projected 2 years to switch to Intel chips, I have no doubt they match that.

The 16" Macbook Pro will probably still be THIS M1 chip. It will perform more or less the same, maybe slightly better (overclocked). Hardly something to praise about... I am talking about the talked 32 core M2.

And that's not a "transition", that will be a real hard task to accomplish.

[Fabriciom]

OP has a valid point regarding performance per dollar spent on a Mac. You can definitely build a super fast, if not faster PC for less money than a Mac.

Not true anymore, M1 Mini cost and performs similar to Ryzen 5 3600 desktop hackintosh PC

Ryzen 3600? That's OOOOOLD...

The price for a Ryzen 3600 is 172 euros. I can a build a computer based on a Ryzen 3600 vastly superior to a Mac mini for the price of a Mac mini.

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/A ... 4087vs4040

A hackintosh is not a solution either.

There is no dual Xeon board that works "ok".

The recommended boards are Z400 chipsets with lga 1200 sockets. So you can't use one of the new xeon.

You are stuck with the performance around what I have.